Free A Week in December by Sebastian Faulks Page A

I'm from Leicester.' He looked at them challengingly.
    'That doesn't sound like a Muslim name,' said Hassan.
    'I was born a Hindu. I converted,' said Ravi. 'Do you have a problem with that?'
    Hassan shook his head. It did seem odd to him that someone not born Muslim should be engaged on jihad, but he couldn't explain why. 'No,' he said. 'No problem.'
    'I don't suppose you can think of anyone famous from Leicester, can you?' said Ravi.
    'Gary,' said Hassan.
    'Who's Gary then?'
    'A footballer,' said Hassan. 'Their most famous ever player.'
    'Gary's good,' said Salim. 'Now you.' He nodded at Hassan.
    'My name is Hassan,' he said. 'And I'm from--'
    'Och aye,' said Gary, ne Ravi. 'I think we all know where ye're frae, MacTavish.'
    'There's a name that I was called once and it really angered me,' said Hassan. 'Someone called me "Jock". If I'm going to die, I'd like to take that name down with me.'
    Salim nodded. 'All right. We'll call you Jock.'
    The last of the five said, 'My name's Hanif and I'm from Watford.' He was bald and thickset, unlike the others, all of whom looked hungry. 'I bet you can't name a footballer from Watford.'
    'Bet I could,' said Hassan, 'but why don't we call you Elton?'
    'Elton?'
    'Elton. He's the chairman. Or he was.'
    'It's good,' said Salim.
    'You seem to know a lot,' said Elton.
    'He's the brains,' said Salim. 'He's our college boy.'
    Gary the Gold Tooth Hindu, thought Hassan. Seth the Shy One. And Bald Elton. It was easy enough. What would be harder was to remember to call Salim 'Alfie' from now on.
    Hassan had a sudden and terrible desire to laugh - at the thought of roly-poly Elton John with his diamante glasses and his boyfriend and his platform heels having unwittingly given his name to a solemn would-be terrorist ... Salim had occasionally had cause to rebuke him for his descent into laughter: it showed spiritual immaturity, he said. Hassan did believe in purity and truth with all his might; but he had been brought up in a godless country where television and newspapers mocked the social structures night and day ...
    'And we'll call this place "the pub",' Salim was saying. 'So if you hear someone say, "I'm meeting Alfie down the pub" it couldn't sound more normal, more everyday kafir .'
    'When do we get our instructions then?' asked Seth.
    Salim coughed and walked round the unfurnished room. 'In a couple of days. For security reasons, it's best if you don't know in advance.'
    'Why?' said Gary. 'It's not as if we're going to--'
    'For heaven's sake, didn't you learn anything in Pakistan?' Hassan hadn't seen Salim impose himself like this before. 'It's rudimentary. All knowledge is potentially a leak. You are told only what you need to know and not one thing more. The only reason you're meeting together today is that you'll need to recognise one another. I also think it's a good idea to form a bond. But this is as far as it goes. I don't even know the real name of my superior. I meet him in different places - cafes, parks, even in a pub one time. I just know him as Steve.'
    'And what are we going to do on the day?' said Elton.
    'We are going to wage jihad. Each of you has a task. Jock is doing the shopping. Seth and Elton will assemble the ingredients. Gary will help me plan the route and the timing. We'll all plant the bombs. Today is Monday. We need Jock to have brought everything here by Thursday morning so that Seth and Elton can put it all together.'
    'Do we know where we're going?' said Gary.
    'Yes. I've already been there and had a good look. But I won't be telling you until we meet on Friday.'
    'What time on Friday?' said Hassan.
    'I'll let you know the day before. Why?'
    'It's just ...' Hassan stopped. 'It's difficult to explain. My father is ... is ...' He felt his throat constrict. He was frightened of Salim's anger.
    'What is it?' said Salim.
    'My father is going to Buckingham Palace to get the OBE,' said Hassan. 'And my mother and I have to go with him.'
    There was silence in the little